Archive for the ‘Bird Watching’ Category

Southern Africa is a bird watching holiday Mecca for big-game wildlife viewing, however even the wildlife enthusiasts quickly become captivated by the plethora of birds found throughout the region.  Bird watching holiday, or birding, is very popular in southern Africa.  Botswana, Zambia, and Namibia are perhaps southern Africa best destinations to have the proper birding holiday.  November – March make for the best time to experience a southern African bird watching holiday.

Bird watching holiday in Botswana

Botswana is no doubt the jewel of southern Africa.  With vast expanses of undisturbed wilderness, home to abundant herds of wildlife and a brilliant diversity of habitats, Botswana is also a fantastic destination for bird watching holiday.

The Okavango Delta attracts not only large game animals, but is also Africa’s ultimate birding destination.  Its montage of dry and wetland environments make for the perfect home to a large range of birds –from raptors to waders and colorful kingsfishers.  Bird enthusiasts come in search of the salty egret, Bradfield’s hornbill, lesser jacana and pink-throated longclaw, but no matter your desire all will enjoy the iridescent colors and what seems to be endless variety of birdlife.

In comparison to the Okavango Delta, the Central Kalahari and Makgadikgadi Pans simply don’t have the same variety, however when the pans fill with water during the rainy season (between November and March) they attract several species of waders and even breeding flocks of flamingos.

Bird watching holiday in Zambia

Zambia’s Bangweulu Wetlands are a bird watching holiday paradise.  The vast wilderness has a brilliant variety of water birds, and is infamous for being the home of the very rare shoebill stork (nearly guaranteed to see here from April to June).

If you’re traveling during the month of September, the gregarious carmine bee-eaters migrate to the area for their annual breeding season and nest in the area for the following 3-4 months.  Their busy colonies can be found throughout southern Africa, but the prime location is Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park.

The Lower Zambezi is a spectacular venue for bird watching holiday, especially water birds like goliath herons.  North of Kafue National Park has an equally impressive array of birds, and for those looking to get further in the bush –Liuwa Plain in Western Zambia offers the opportunity to see large numbers of crowned and wattled cranes, pelicans, storks, herons and many other water birds, in addition to terrific raptor activity.

Bird watching holiday in Namibia

The best season for a bird watching holiday in Namibia is during the rainy season.  Unlike Zambia, Namibia isn’t disrupted by its rains.  Sandwich Harbour is an amazing reserve home to large flocks of birds, and Etosha National Park is a popular nesting area for breeding flamingos.  When Etosha’s pans fill with water large flocks of blue cranes descend upon the park.  However, Namibia’s best area for birds is certainly the Caprivi strip –Mahango, Caprivi, Bwabwata Game Parks – where you’ll find many of the same species of birds generally associated with Botswana’s Okavango Delta.